The Pool Activity Level (PAL) Instrument for Occupational Profiling

Book excerpt: The Pool Activity Level (PAL) Instrument is widely used as the framework for providing activity-based care for people with cognitive impairments, including dementia. The Instrument is recommended for daily living skills training and activity planning in the National Institute for Clinical Excellence Clinical Guidelines for Dementia (NICE 2006), and has been proven valid and reliable by a recent research study. It is an essential resource for any practitioner or carer wanting to provide fulfilling occupation for clients with cognitive impairments. This fourth edition of The Pool Activity Level (PAL) Instrument for Occupational Profiling includes a new section on using the PAL Checklist to carry out sensory interventions, together with the photocopiable Instrument itself in a new easy-to-use format, and plans that help to match users' abilities to activities. It includes the latest research on the use of the PAL Instrument in a range of settings, and new case studies, as well as information about how a new online PAL tool complements and supports the book. The book also contains suggestions for activities, together with information on obtaining the necessary resources and guidance for carrying out the activities with individuals of different ability levels, as revealed by the PAL Checklist.